Assembler front for linecasting machines



April l2, 1966 RossErro ETAL 3,245,521

ASSEMBLER FRONT FOR LINECASTING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Jan. 28, 1964 BYHERBER-r KL PPER April 12, 1966 L. Rosse-no ETAL 3,245,521

ASSEMBLER FRONT FOR LINECASTING MACHINES Filed Jan. 28, 1964 4 Sheets'sheet 2 April 12, 1966 Rosse-Pro ETAL 3,245,521

SSEMBLER FRONT FOR LINECASTING MACHINES Filed Jan. 28, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 mlill;

April 12, 1966 1 RossE'rTo ETAL 3,245,521

ASSEMBLER FRONT FOR LINECASTING MACHINES Filed Jan. 28, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORB. Lows ROSSETTU WILLIAM B. ABBO'IT BYH Raam' KLEPER United States Patent O 3,245,521 ASSED/BLER FRNT FOR LINECASTING MACHINES Louis Rossetto, Kings Point, William B. Abbott, Pleasantville, and Herbert Klepper, Brooklyn, N.Y., assignors to Eltra Corporation, a corporation of New York Filed Jan. 28, 1964, Ser. No. 340,713 4 Claims. (Cl. 199-18) This invention relates to typographical composing machines of the general organization wherein circulating matrices are released from a storage magazine in the order in which their characters are to appear in print, the matrices assembled in line together with spacebands, the composed line delivered to a first elevator which pre- Vsents it to the face of a slotted mold wherein a typographical slug is cast. The matrices and spacebands thereafter are separated and returned to their place of storage.

More particularly this invention relates to a composing machine employing a straight line delivery mechanism wherein the matrices and spacebands are assembled in a stationary assembler and then delivered horizontally from the assembler to the first elevator. Specifically, the invention relates to an improved assembler front which is swingably mounted on the machine frame proper and which is provided with a line measure device that enables an operator of the machine to visually determine the space remaining in a set line length measure as the line is being composed.

Inasmuch as the composed line of matrices and spacebands must be transferred between the two vise jaws which are spaced apart a fixed distance depending on the selected justified line length, it is necessary that the composed line not be greater in length than the spacing of the vise jaws, otherwise matrices will be damaged as the machine mechanism attempts to transfer the composed line between the vise jaws. It is, therefore, desirable to prevent the composed line from being overset in the assembler.

In the prior art configurations employing assembly elevators that carried the composed line upwardly to a delivery mechanism was simply accomplished by providing an adjustable stop member mounted on the assembler slide. As clearly shown in U.S. Patent 2,779,456, the line resistant was mounted at the end of the slide and was displaced to accommodate spacebands and matrices assembled by the star wheel. When the line was set at maximum length the stop member struck a fixed abutment. This type of line measuring device, while satisfactory with machines having assembler elevators, cannot be employed in certain straight line machines because, as illustrated in Patent 2,997,159, the main line resistant not only supports the line during assembly but is utilized in the transfer operation where the line is delivered to the first elevator. Consequently its horizontal movement can not be impeded by a stop member.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a visual line measure device for a machine employing a straight line delivery mechanism.

In carrying out the present invention there is provided an improved assembler front, including an assembler formed integrally therewith, which is swingably mounted on the linecasting machine frame. The assembler front is provided with a line measure indicator which is connected to the main line resistant so as to indicate the extent of line composition, but in a releasable manner to permit the line resistant to move into the first elevator in effecting a line delivery operation and to permit the assembler front to be swung into an open position to expose the interior of the machine.

Features and advantages of this invention may be gained from the foregoing and from the description of a preferred embodiment thereof which follows.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a portion of a linecasting machine equipped with the present invention;

FIG. 2a is a rear partial view in elevation showing the left hand side of the line length indicator mechanism;

FIG. 2b is a rear partial view in elevation showing the right hand side of the line length indicator mechanism;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational View in section taken on line 3--3 of FIG; 2a;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view in section taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 2b;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary top plan View of the line length indicator mechanism;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view taken on line 6 6V of FIG.1; Y

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary top plan view of the inhibitor;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the inhibitor; and

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken on line 9 9 of FIG. 2b.

The present invention contemplates an improved assembler front for a linecasting machine employing a socalled straight line delivery mechanism. In a representative type of such mechanism, for example, see U.S. Patent 2,997,159, the main line resistant which supports a line of matrices and spacebands during composition, and its actuating mechanism, as well as the line delivery mechanism, is mounted on and supported by the linecasting machine frame proper. However, it cooperates with the assembler which, in the presently disclosed embodiment, is formed integrally with the assembler front. In this manner critical alignments between the assembler and the assembler front mechanisms can be set during manufacture and need not thereafter be readjusted. In View of the integral construction of the assembler front and the assembler, use of the former term in this specification is to be understood to include the assembler.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 1 and 2b of the drawing for a description of the assembler front and the component parts carried by it. Matrices when released from their storage channels in magazine 10 fall into the vertical chutes 11 which guide them inthe well known manner on to continuously traveling assembler belt 12. This belt is located between the front and back plates 13 and 14 which are fixedly secured to each other in an appropriate manner. These plates together with the component members and mechanisms mounted thereon, will hereinafter be referred to collectively as the assembler front 9. The moving assembler belt 12 transports matrices one by one to a rotating star wheel 15 which stacks them in line in the fixed assembler 16 against the main yieldable line resistant finger 17. As previously noted, finger 17 carried by the machine proper, is not a part of the assembler front, but assembler 16 is. The resistant finger 17 as will later be seen, operates a long movable slide member 18 which is adapted to measure the length of the line composed in the assembler in relation to a slide member 19 Which is adjustably set in accordance with a preselected justified line length.

The power for rotating star wheel 1S and assembler belt 12 is taken from a continuously moving driving belt 2) which is trained about a pulley 21 fixed to a rotatably mounted shaft 23. This rotating shaft 23 in turn drives both the assembler belt and the star Wheel. does this by means of its two keyed pulleys 24 and 25. The first, pulley 24, directly drives the assembler belt 12, while the second pulley 25 operates a belt 26 which in turn drives a rotatably mounted shaft 27 to which is keyed star wheel 15.

Shaft 23V As is well known in the art, means are provided to ef- -fect reciprocation of the star wheel immediately prior to the delivery of a line so as to provide a gap at the end of the line which enables a transfer finger or resistant to pivot into the assembler and engage the last matrix of the line to transfer the composed line to the first elevator. In its reciprocation the star wheel moves from its normal stacking position shown in FlG. 2b to a forward line advancing position closer to the 4assembler and thereafter is resiliently returned to its normal position. As a result of the provided gap, the pivoting transfer finger will encounter no resistance to its entry into the assembler.

Shaft Z7, which carries the star wheel, is itself journalled in a slide member 30. Slide member 39 s upported between a pair of horizontal gibs 31 and 32. The means for reciprocating member and consequentially star wheel 15 is a solenoid operated interconnecting link 33 pivotably mounted at 34. Link 33 has a yoke provided at its upper end that slidably engages a lug 35 of the slide member 30. At its lower end, link 33 is mounted on the armature of a solenoid 36. Thus, when solenoid 36 is energized, link 33 pivots in a clockwise sense (FIG. 2b) driving the slide 39 towards the assembler 16. When the solenoid is cle-energized the return of the slide and its star wheel is initiated by a resiliently biased strap 3S which moves these members to a normal position (as shown in FlG. 2b) where link 33 engages a stop member (not shown). For a more detailed description of the star wheel mechanism, see U.S. Patent No. 3,040,876.

As seen in FIGS. 2a and 2b, plate 13, in the area shown, extends downwardly for a greater `distance than back plate 14 and thereby allows the hereinafter described line length indicator mechanism to be presented to lthe operator viewing window 51 cut in the plate 13. Due to the usual location of a key-board `below the front 9, it will be understood that window 51 is disposed directly above and in front of an operator seated at the keyboard so as to allow him to readily observe the indicator mechanism.

The line length indicator mechanism 50 includes the two long slide members 18 and 19 which are slideably mounted independently of one another. The top surfaces of' the said slides are guided by a pair of roller support members 52 while the lower ends are supported -by two pairs of roller support members 53. The description of only one such roller support member will suflice as all re identical in construction and operation. Two individual rollers 54 `and 55, one for each slide, are adjacently mounted on shaft 56 fixed to the front 9. Each roller is held in a relative fixed position on the axis of shaft 56 by snap rings. However, each roller is mounted independently of the other, such that although movable slide 18 is translated, the indicator line length slide 19 and consequently its roller will remain stationary.

Movable slide 13, as previously indicated, is horizontally translated by the line resistant finger 17 in the .process of composition of matrices and spacebands in the assembler. The operative connection between finger 17 and slide 1S is shown in FIG. 2b. The construction of nger 17 and any needed reference to a straight line delivery mechanism can be had in U.S. Patent 2,997,159. Member 57, an element of the straight line delivery mechanism that carries resistant finger 17, is provided with an arm 58 having a hooked portion 59 at its remote end. This hook is positionable to engage a latch assembly 69 and thereby provides the means which connects the movable slide 18 to the line resistant finger. Assembly 60 is itself pivotably mounted at 61 on a vertical member 62 which is fastened at its opposite end to the movable slide 1S by machine screws. Tension spring 63 biases assembly 60 to a normal position in engagement with fixed pin 64. In this position the hooked portion 59 of lever 58 rides in a groove cut in the top of assembly 60. To remove slide 18 from engagement with resistant finger 17, assembly 60 need only be pivoted in -a clockwise sense (FIG. 2b) until the hook of lever 58 4 releases from engagement with the groove of the said assembly 60. Such disengagement is necessary, as otherwise after the commencement of line delivery the movable slide would have to be transferred all the way to the first elevator, a relatively long distance.

The releasing operation is performed by a member 65 fixed to the rear of the front in the position shown in FIG. 2b. As shown, member 65 is provided with a projecting canted portion 65 which is so arranged to engage an ear `67 integrally formed at the rear end of assembly 60. Such -action of course only takes place when resistant finger 17 is translated towards the first elevator. Canted portion 66 banks against ear 67 in such a manner so as to rotate the assembly 66 in a clockwise sense releasing the hooked lever 58 from the groove as above described. In addition, the ear portion 67 of assembly 60 is rotated until it becomes lodged in a detent 68 formed between the canted portion 66 and the main body proper of releasing member 65. After line delivery, as resistant finger 17 is returned towards the star wheel 15, hooked lever 5S impinges upon and rides up while driving against an inclined surface of assembly 60, formed just forward of the retaining groove. Thereafter, when hooked lever 58 enters the groove on assembly 60 the assembly released from member 65 is driven by the line resistant towards the star wheel. As perhaps should be well to indicate here, a brake 70, described hereafter, must at this point in time of machine operation be released from engagement with slide member 1S to allow the return movement of the slide and line resistant finger 17 towards the star wheel and magazine.

Brake 70 is provided to generally prevent retrograde movement of the movable slide member 18. It has a fixed fulcrum 71 and presents a pair of spaced friction shoes 72 andv 73 to the upper and lower edge surfaces of movable slide 1S. The brake is mounted upon fixed plate 74 which `also provides means for mounting a brake release solenoid 75. Mounted upon the armature of solenoid 75 is a lever 76 that is arranged to normally urge the said brake shoes in a clockwise sense (FIG. 2b) into an engaging frictional relation with the edges of movable slide 18. The shoes are :so positioned that the return biasing force of the line resistant causes them to pivot into a firmer grasping relation with the edges of the movable slide while conversely the engagement of the shoes with the movable slide does not prevent an advance towards the first elevator such as would take place during assembly. Solenoid 75 performs an important function in that when energized it pivots in a clockwise sense releasing the brake shoes 72 and 73 from the slide 18 thereby allowing this slide to be moved towards the star wheel. As indicated, such a situation must be present during the return movement of the line resistant finger from the first elevator when the line resistant re-engages the movable slide member.

When spacebands and matrices enter the assembler 16 the movable slide 18 is traversed in the direction of the first elevator or mold disc. Slide 1S has two components mounted thereon. The first is a back plate 78 fastened to slide 18 by two screws 79 and is adapted to engage and actuate a switch assembly 80 mounted in the line length slide 19. This occurrence takes place in two instances. The first is when the assembling line is detected to be overset and the second is in the process of transfer of the matrix line to the first elevator. In the first situation the machine is shut off and a light 81 on the front 9 is actuated which signals to the operator a tight line condition, while in the second the operation of the machine is not arrested. This action will become more apparent later when lthe circuit operated by the switch assembly 30 is explained. The second element carried by slide 1S includes a crooked shaped flat plate 8.?. fastened to slide 18 by screws 83. It is formed so as to terminate adjacent to the viewing window 51. At

this position a rivet 84 secures an indicator rfinger 85 to the said rod. The finger 85 projects downwardly and slightly to the rear of window 51 so that it may be viewed by the operatorV in relation to a pica scale S6 indicating the present length of line composed in the assembler. Briefiy, the scale 86 is mounted upon a cross frame 87 fixed to brackets 88. Each bracket is secured to fixed support 90 by a screw S9.

A finger 92 carried by the line length indicator slide 19 also terminates next to pica scale 86 and is arranged to indicate .the preselected justified length of line to be composed. This finger is fastened to a Z shaped element 94 by a screw 93. Element 94 is fastened to an upright member 95 which in turn is fastened to :the slide 19. Switch assembly 80 is pivotably mounted at `97 on slide 19 but is, however, normally held in the relative relationship shown in the drawings. This is accomplished by two elements, the first, a tension spring 98 fixed to assem-bly 80 and anchored at its other end to a fixed holding member 99. Member 99 in turn is secured to the line length -slide 19 by screw 100. The second element is metal strap 38 which has one end fastened at 101 to the said holding member 99 and its opposite end lfastened to assembly 80. As shown, assembly 80 is provided with a pin 102 mounted in spaced abutments integrally formed on this assembly. Rivet 103 provides the fastening means in that it fixes the extreme end portion of the strap traine-d about the pin 102 to the ltop or main portion of strap 38. In its path from anchor 99 to assembly 80 strap 38 is guided by two yrotatably mounted rollers 104 and 105. Roller 104 is mounted upon pin 106 fixed to cross plate 90 while roller 105 is mounted on pin 107 fixed to the aforedescribed link 33. Thus, assembly 80 will normally be held in its set position as the resilient biasing of -spring 98 is counter-balanced by the tension of strap 38. As should be quite `clear from the drawings, when star wheel 15 is reciprocated, the assembly 80 will be pivoted therewith as the guide roller 105 of strap 38 is mounted upon the solenoid actuated link 33. After this reciprocation the assembly 80 will be returned to its normal position by strap 38. Adjustment of the indicator slide 19 isV done coincidentally with the adjustment of the vise jaws. Briefly, as it is quite clear from the drawings,

when slide 19 is moved, strap 38 -is traversed to the new' Y position occupied by assembly 80 where it again counterbalances the 4tension of spring 98. Adjustment of slide 19 is done by means of a descending I shaped arm 10S which engages a block 109 of the vise jaw adjustment mechanism to the line length slide 19. The vise adjustment Imechanism is well understood and its description need not be repeated in this specification.

Switch 110 can be of any standard construction provided only that it can be securely mounted on the pivotable assembly 80. As shown, it is provided with a roller element which when depressed by back plate 78 closes a set of switch contacts. Ordinarily when closed, switch 110 indicates an over set or tight :line and switches on a stop relay which operates to prevent delivery of the line or casting of a slug and actuates light 81. However, during the delivery operation of a fully composed matrix line to the first elevator the back plate 78 also closes switch 110 However, when actuation of switch 110 follows a signal for line delivery, contacts in series with the stop relay are opened thus preventing energization of the stop relay in response to actuation of switch 110.

Towards the end of composition of a line, if the line resistant 17 is at la position corresponding to almost a fully composed line, when the star wheel is reciprocated to provide the needed 'gap at the end of the line, as previously described, it may happen that the thrust of the stroke of the star wheel may carry the line resistant beyond the distance actually traversed by the star wheel. cases switch 110 will be `actuated falsely indicating a tight line. Therefore, means are provided to arrest the movement of `slide 18 and consequently the line resistant at In such a pin 48 fixed to the machine frame.

a position corresponding to a nearly fully composed line. A cam follow rol-ler 111 is rotatably mounted onraV block member 112 which is pivoted to the slide 18 at 113. A .tension spring 114 fixed to the slide 18 and a pin 115 of block 112 normally biases the pin 115 into engagement with the end of slide 18. The follower 111 is 4adapted to engage a camming surface 116 formed on the end of slide 19. At the point of initial engagement of the follower and the camming surface the slope of the cam surface is .almost parallel with the horizontal. Thus, as shown in the drawings, the spring 114 is located in a relatively horizontal relationship and thereby at the point of initial engagement the resistant has toV overcome almost the full force of spring 114 to advance towards the first elevator. As roller 111 remains on surface 116 the axis of spring 114 rotates downwardly to a more vertical position lessening the horizontal pull or the main inhibiting force of the spring. Finally, when a line is iny the process of delivery, the roller 111 will disengage from the camming surface and ride on the bottom surface of slide 19.

Having thus described the assembler front and its component parts, it will be noted that the assembler front is swingably mounted on the machine frame. Two hinges 41 and 42 support the front and allow it to be swung forwardly to allow access to the interior of the machine. As this invention relates to straight line machines, the resistant linger 17 is iocated in the channel provided by the assembler (see FIG. 9) thus preventing the front from being swung open. 'It is therefore clear that to open the front, finger 17 must be moved towards the mold disc to a position in the waiting line channel free of the rear wall 43 of the assembler 16. At the same time the resistant nger must be released from its connection with the movable slide member 18. When finger 17 has been advanced to the waiting line channel and the operative connection between finger 17 and slide 18 disengaged, a front latch 45 Imay be disengaged and the front swung forward on its pivot, i.e., hinges 41 and 42. Latch 45 is pivotably mounted at 46 on the side end of front 40. It is provided with a hook 47 which is adapted to grasp The latch is very simply disengaged by rotating it in a clockwise direction until hook 47 releases Ifrom the fixed pin 48. To reengage the latch it need only be pivoted in a counter clockwise manner.

Summarizing, the present invention is adapted to provide an improved assembler front having ya line length indicator. In doing so it utilizes two long slide members, a line length indicator slide 19 which is positionable to correspond to the maximum length of line to be cast, and a movable slide 18 which is connected to and operated by the main line resistant. During the assembly process the matrices and spaceb-ands stacked in line drive the line resistant towards the Vfirst elevator; The line resistant in turn carries the movable slide therewith, which slide compares the length of line composed in they assembler in relation to the line length indicator slide 19. When the line is measured beyond its maximum length a switch is closed which energizes a circuit arranged to prevent delivery of the line. Dur'mg the transfer loperation of a properly vcomposed line to the first elevator, a 4release member 65 operates to disengage the resistant from the movable slide. In the return -move of the resistant 17 it again engages the movable slide member and drives it back to a start-of-line position.

inasmuch as many apparently widely different embodiments of the invention can be made without departing from its spirit or scope, it is to be understood that the specification and drawings are to be interpreted Ias illustrative rather than in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. In a typographical line-casting machine wherein matrices and spacebands are composed against a mainline resistant and transferred therewith from a stationary yassembler horizontally to the first elevator, an assembler front having a line length indicator mechanism comprising a fixed line length scale, a rst slide member settable in relation to said scale to indi-cate a line length setting, means to set said first slide member to accord with a selected justified line length and to maintain said member in its set position, a second slide member which is movable relative to said scale and which is provided with pointer means to indicate the relative position of said second slide member and said scale, a hooked member carried by said main resistant, a catch member pivotally mounted on said second slide member to engage said catch member and connect said second slide member to said line resistant so that the extent of line composition is indicated, and means xedly mounted on said assembler -ront for pivoting said catch member to separate said second slide member from said line resistant as a composed line is ibeing delivered from the assembler to the irst elevator.

2. An assembler front according to claim 1 wherein said xedly mounted means includes a detent to hold the catch member in its pivoted position whereby the hooked member can re-engage the catch member when the main resistant is returned after delivery of a composed line.

3. An assembler front vaccording to claim 2 including hinge means for mounting the assembler `front for swinging motion on the linecasting machine, a latch carried by the front and engageable with a fixed member of the machine, and brake means for preventing `movement of the second slide member after it is separated from the main resistant whereby said second slide member is maintained at the position where it is disconnected from the main resistant when the front is swung open, and means operative after the assembler front is closed and said second slide member reconnected to said Imain resistant for releasing said brake means whereby the second slide member and the main resistant are returned to the initial assembly position.

4. An assembler front `according t0 claim 1 including an electrical switch mounted on and settable with the rst slide member in a justified line length position, means carried by the second slide member to actuate said switch when the extent of line composition exceeds the preset justied line length to thereby indicate a tight line condition, and means for nullifying the effect of actuating the electrical switch 4when said switch is actuated during transfer of a composed line to the rst elevator.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/1916 Rapp 199-30 6/1954 Rossetto 199-26 

1. IN A TYPOGRAPHICAL LINE-CASTING MACHINE WHEREIN MATRICES AND SPACEBANDS ARE COMPOSED AGAINST A MAIN LINE RESISTANT AND TRANSFERRED THEREWITH FROM A STATIONARY ASSEMBLER HORIZONTALLY TO THE FIRST ELEVATOR, AN ASSEMBLER FRONT HAVING A LINE LENGTH INDICATOR MECHANISM COMPRISING A FIXED LINE LENGTH SCALE, A FIRST SLIDE MEMBER SETTABLE IN RELATION TO SAID SCALE TO INDICATE A LINE LENGTH SETTING, MEANS TO SET SAID FIRST SLIDE MEMBER TO ACCORD WITH A SELECTED JUSTIFIED LINE LENGTH AND TO MAINTAIN SAID MEMBER IN ITS SET POSITION, A SECOND SLIDE MEMBER WHICH IS MOVABLE RELATIVE TO SAID SCALE AND WHICH IS PROVIDED WITH POINTER MEANS TO INDICATE THE RELATIVE POSITION OF SAID SECOND SLIDE MEMBER AND SAID SCALE, A HOOKED MEMBER CARRIED BY SAID MAIN RESISTANT, A CATCH MEMBER PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID SECOND SLIDE MEMBER TO ENGAGE SAID CATCH MEMBER AND CONNECT SAID SECOND SLIDE MEMBER TO SAID LINE RESISTANT SO THAT THE EXTENT OF LINE COMPOSITION IS INDICATED, AND MEANS FIXEDLY MOUNTED ON SAID ASSEMBLER FRONT FOR PIVOTING SAID CATCH MEMBER TO SEPARATE SAID SECOND SLIDE MEMBER FROM SAID LINE RESISTANT AS A COMPOSED LINE IS BEING DELIVERED FROM THE ASSEMBLER TO THE FIRST ELEVATOR. 